Last night I stood on the waterfront, my body facing towards the hills and one of nature's finest shows. Lightning ripped across the sky - it bounced up from the hilltops, struck down towards the crevasses and danced in mid air - brightening the dark and ominous night. From another beach I heard young people cheer, as if they were watching fireworks, when a particularly good sizzle struck.

My camera attempted to anticipate the strikes. My finger ready on the trigger and my body bent at some weird angle. Lightning is quick. Did I want the water in the foreground? The boats or the marina? This was my first time shooting the weather so the field was open to my interpretation.

I stayed out until the winds blew at 50 mph and the rain began a horizontal flow with its drops as big as deer poop. I ran for the car and eagerly looked at my photos, secretly hoping it would quit raining and I could shoot some more.

If you walk slowly upon the earth, with your eyes and ears open, and your head and heart filled with acceptance, the unexpected gifts will appear in the most delightful of ways when you least expect them.